Among the Indian YouTube channels that were blocked are ARP News which has 4.4 crore subscribers, followed by AOP News which has 74 lakh subscribers and LDC News which has 4.7 lakh subscribers.
New Delhi: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Tuesday blocked as many as 22 YouTube channels, including four from Pakistan, for allegedly spreading misinformation related to the national security, foreign relations and public order.
The government statement read, “Multiple YouTube channels were used to post fake news on various subjects such as the Indian Armed Forces, Jammu and Kashmir, etc. The content ordered to be blocked also included certain anti-India content posted from multiple social media accounts operated in a coordinated manner from Pakistan.”
It added, “It was observed that a significant amount of false content published by these Indian YouTube based channels related to the ongoing situation in Ukraine, and aimed at jeopardising India’s foreign relations with other countries.”
Among the Indian YouTube channels that were blocked are ARP News which has 4.4 crore subscribers, followed by AOP News which has 74 lakh subscribers and LDC News which has 4.7 lakh subscribers.
Among the Pakistani YouTube channels are ‘DuniyaMeryAagy’ with 4.2 lakh subscribers with its total views crossing 11.2 crore, ‘GhulamNabiMadni’ with over 37.09 lakh views and ‘HAQEEQAT TV’ with over 40 lakh subscribers.
“The blocked YouTube channels had a cumulative viewership of over 260 crore, and were used to spread fake news, and coordinated disinformation over social media on subjects sensitive from the perspective of national security, India’s foreign relations, and public order,” the ministry added.
The ministry further added, “False thumbnails were used; and title and thumbnail of the videos were frequently altered to increase the virality of content on social media. In certain cases, it was also observed that systematic anti-India fake news was originating from Pakistan.”
The present move was the first taken by the Centre under the IT Rules, 2021 that were notified in February.
